It started with a false move during broomball 3 weeks ago. While the initial pain was crippling (and resulted in me not being able to get up for a day) – I’ve had a dull pain for 3 weeks.

But I still pushed myself through my workouts. P90x. Running on the treadmill. and YOGA. Oh yoga.

After Sunday’s fiasco where bouncing a 2 year old on my knee resulted in a sharp pain – I haven’t really recovered. I’m crooked and can’t do anything!

I went back to the chiropractor who said he could feel the spasm in my back. When asked what I’d be doing, I mentioned yoga and he immediately told me that yoga was the worst thing I could do for my back. Apparently people should have a “strong” back… NOT a flexible back (you only need flexible hips). He said yoga/pilates related injuries are the most common ones he sees in his office.

So – he told me I could stick with the yoga and continue to see him on a regular basis or I could stop the yoga and stop my back pain. I think I’ll stop the yoga.

Off topic…

As I was hunched over and shuffling slowly to make some coffee this morning, it was like fate or something was feeling sorry for me and I noticed this on the Starbucks bag:

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5 responses to “Back Pain and Free Coffee”

Seriously? Yoga? That’s kind of crazy. I never feel any pain when doing pilates but I have noticed some back pain in the past when doing certain yoga postures. I always figured I was just doing them wrong, but maybe it’s just the postures themselves. I hope you start to feel better soon!

He said that yoga isn’t that bad but that most instructors overstretch the students. :-(

Are you sure your chiropractor isn’t a quack? Pilates and yoga are the two things my doctor prescribed to help my aching back. It’s not about having a flexible back. It’s about building strong core muscles via yoga/pilates.

I’ll agree with that (and he did clarify the need for strong core muscles) but a great deal of the yoga moves have you stretching your back. Just think about it.

I can probably still do yoga as long as I avoid the moves — but then I’d just be standing around like an a-hole while everyone does the downward dog or childs pose.

Oh! Back pain! I have had my fair share of back pain time and I am so sorry you’re going through it.

I’ve actually been doing a lot more yoga and pilates lately, but more focusing on core strengthening, and I’ve found it helpful. I think there’s this idea that stretching is always harmless, but the wrong kind of stretching isn’t a good thing.

I’m realizing that everyone has different methods for helping with back pain — what sucks is that they all seem to contradict. But I will say – core strengthening is always mentioned as helping.

I have had back pain off and on since I was in the 3rd grade (srsly.) and whenever it starts to feel better I get all cocky and go to yoga and it cripples me for days and takes weeks to fully go away. I will never learn.